I think the days of the San Antonio, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston cloud of dust offense, half court brawl defense are coming to an end.

The game is increasingly being played up tempo, even in the playoffs. Athletes and shooters are a premium, the days of behemoth 7 foot big men slugging it out in the paint are fading.

We will still see teams grind it out in stretches, but not for 48 minutes like the recent Pistons/Cavs series.

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Who's gonna tell G-Man?

When he played full on, I appreciated Sheeds game as much as anyone. But he took a lot of time off and took a lot of bad shots at crucial times, that's a simple fact. He didn't play in the paint near as much as he could've and he liked his shots from the elbows a little too much. He mixed it up on occasion but overall showed no desire for scrapping in the paint and very little leadership.

My point was that Thibideau would allow them to gain an identity and something to build around. I also am saying that I think having someone who could grow with the team would probably be more beneficial than having a win now guy if they're not ready to win now. You are burning years of the coach's usefulness. This presumes that the person growing isn't a total stiff.

The more I think about it though they need a coach of some sort to coach the offense if they're going to keep all the guards. They can't keep taking 20 seconds a trip while they all try and shoot.

Tom Thibodeau, according to a league source, is about to sign a new contract with the Celtics [team stats], bringing the team’s associate coach back to Square One after his relatively short search for a head coaching job. Only the length of the new deal is uncertain, though Thibodeau, with an eye on moving up, has worked each of the last two years on one-year contracts.

I think the days of the San Antonio, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston cloud of dust offense, half court brawl defense are coming to an end.

The game is increasingly being played up tempo, even in the playoffs. Athletes and shooters are a premium, the days of behemoth 7 foot big men slugging it out in the paint are fading.

We will still see teams grind it out in stretches, but not for 48 minutes like the recent Pistons/Cavs series.

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I loved that type of basketball, can't believe people find that boring. And I agree Roscoe, the game really is changing and mistakes are allowed more often in the playoffs, where every possession is supposed to count.

Avery Johnson has worked closely with some of the most knowledgeable coaches in the biz as both a starting point guard on an NBA championship team, and as an assistant moving on to head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

He's already proven with the Mavericks that he knows how to post a superb regular season record.

His knowledge of the game is pretty extensive. His basketball intelligence should not be questioned.

But best believe it will be should he coach here. He will show flashes of one thing or another that reminds fans of past coaches like Collins, Carlisle, Saunders, and Curry. He should also share some traits with Larry Brown, if Gregg Popovich has anything to do with it.

Does that necessarily mean much? Probably not. We are a results driven fanbase, and we ascertain things situationally alot of the time.

Meaning, we could hire 356, and as long as the team were winning games we would be kicking ourselves for doubting the coach of the year genius that was hidden on the message boards for such a long time.

young men need experience and guidance. And history. Thats' why I voted for A.Johnson instead of unknown commodity for NBA as Laimbeer or no head coaching experience folks as Kuester. Fratello has been maybe too much time away from NBA...

I think the "the little general" would be a good hire. He probably learned from blowing a 2-0 lead in the Finals (which cost him his job in Dallas imo).

I also believe he would enjoy coaching in the more physical EC also.

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I am not 100 per cent for the General, but being out to the boundaries of the system should have given him a more mature perspective. He has enough obvious arrogance (similar to Laimbeer) to keep in line (no small feat) today's youthful players and the Pistons are definitely getting younger.

JD had best get this move right. He has to go with a vet. The General will probably be pushing for a duration of contract. For me, that would be a problem area. My guess is that you might be looking at 5 mil over at least 4 years. See what I mean by getting it right?

I think the days of the San Antonio, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston cloud of dust offense, half court brawl defense are coming to an end.

The game is increasingly being played up tempo, even in the playoffs. Athletes and shooters are a premium, the days of behemoth 7 foot big men slugging it out in the paint are fading.

We will still see teams grind it out in stretches, but not for 48 minutes like the recent Pistons/Cavs series.

Click to expand...

I don't know man...every time people start making that claim, another champion shows up and wins playing that way....it was said after 89-90...it was said after 04...it was said after the spurs won in 05....it's being said again after the Celtics...

I don't think it's ever going to go away no matter how many people claim it's dead. I think it's a valid means to to continue winning titles. They keep saying it's going away year after year, but teams keep winning with it and we all know the playoffs/Finals get more physical and they continue to let it go. It helps ratings to have stories and confrontations and drama to build on...so they aren't going to really remove it from the game, IMHO.

Joe Dumars is headed to Texas to try to woo Avery Johnson back to the sidelines, a source told NBA.com. The Pistons president is meeting with the former Mavericks coach for the first time Sunday at Johnson's home in the Houston area to discuss the opening.

Johnson isn't necessarily looking to return to the bench this season and, according to the source, has to be convinced that Detroit makes sense on multiple levels before going forward. Dumars' mission is as much a recruitment as it is an outright offer.

1. Dumars has to convince potential recruits that after a year they won't be added to sad list of unemployed. 2. He has to show to potential recruits that he has actually a team for guiding. ( nobody knows whether summer league folks from drafts will be able to contribute daily in NBA yet...Dumars has money to add 1 serious player)

I don't know man...every time people start making that claim, another champion shows up and wins playing that way....it was said after 89-90...it was said after 04...it was said after the spurs won in 05....it's being said again after the Celtics...

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And the game continues to get softer than it was 25 years ago.

I don't think the 2009 Cavs could have won a single game against the Jordan Bulls, let alone the Bad Boys.

But that's not even the crux of my point. The game has become about pace. The real effects of the 3 point arc are being realized by D'Antoni teams and the Magic now. Phoenix tried to do it in the 90s and couldn't pull it off but the evolution of the rules, referees and rookies has allowed the game to transition to what it is now. An up and down jumper fest (for better or worse). It's all about spacing.

Sometimes, it takes time for the tactics to catch up with battlefield conditions. I think we are seeing that evolution beginning to bear fruit.

Maybe I am brain damaged (it is possible) but I recall people with their back to the basket. That is now the exception, not the rule. Bigs are so ineffective in the post, we use Tayshaun or our guards to post up, and it's not just us. Other teams too.

The game has changed, everything changes. The Pistons couldn't get it done, like LeBron can't get it done, like the Riley Heat and Knicks couldn't get it done, because when you play the knock'em down drag'em out game, whoever can get shots they can make, will win, There has never been a 1-0 NBA game. The team that scores the most, not the least, is always the winner.

By saying "so" that is the second time in as many days that I have written, "I like the colour red" and people have written back, "so why do you hate green and blue?"

Sheed at 25 had a lot more power to finish and energy than 30 something year old Sheed does. Not to mention, the ratio of game to big mouth was in favour of his game back then.

And the game continues to get softer than it was 25 years ago.

I don't think the 2009 Cavs could have won a single game against the Jordan Bulls, let alone the Bad Boys.

But that's not even the crux of my point. The game has become about pace. The real effects of the 3 point arc are being realized by D'Antoni teams and the Magic now. Phoenix tried to do it in the 90s and couldn't pull it off but the evolution of the rules, referees and rookies has allowed the game to transition to what it is now. An up and down jumper fest (for better or worse). It's all about spacing.

Sometimes, it takes time for the tactics to catch up with battlefield conditions. I think we are seeing that evolution beginning to bear fruit.

Maybe I am brain damaged (it is possible) but I recall people with their back to the basket. That is now the exception, not the rule. Bigs are so ineffective in the post, we use Tayshaun or our guards to post up, and it's not just us. Other teams too.

The game has changed, everything changes. The Pistons couldn't get it done, like LeBron can't get it done, like the Riley Heat and Knicks couldn't get it done, because when you play the knock'em down drag'em out game, whoever can get shots they can make, will win, There has never been a 1-0 NBA game. The team that scores the most, not the least, is always the winner.